How To Build Bigger Arms – Our Top 5 Arm Exercises

So, you want to know how to build bigger arms? People say big arms comes with genetics, and it might be true in some cases.

There are guys with a nice chest, and even good legs, but they have a hard time working out their arms.

However, there is a correct technique on how to do it, and you need to be clear around your objectives and what you need to do.

We have realised there are plenty of mistakes when exercising your arms, and if you’re not doing things correctly and do not have the genetics to build bigger guns, you’re going to feel frustrated with your results.

But hold on.

There’s something you can do about it.

In this article, we are going to look through the most important arm exercises you should include in your routine.

The foundation of how to build bigger arms

But before that, let’s take a look at the foundation of building bigger arms.

How to choose your exercises and what should you do?

Building bigger arms shouldn’t be that hard.

One of the most common mistakes when training arms is focusing only on the biceps muscle.

Why you need to focus on your triceps as well as your biceps

But what about your triceps?

It is true that biceps is a bigger muscle and will give you faster results, but your triceps provide with an extra dimension to your arms and makes them look bulky and voluminous.

Thus, your arm day should not only include biceps but triceps as well.

Advice for those having a hard time growing their arms: dedicate a whole gym session on building them.

Stop working them out as an accessory muscle on your chest or back day.

No matter whatever people say, you need to give extra attention to those muscle groups that give you unique trouble.

Another thing we need to mention before starting our list: be careful with repetitive exercises.

Most biceps exercises look quite the same, but you need to choose variations that allow you to put extra stress on a given area.

You can achieve that by analysing the biomechanics of each exercise.

However, we are going to do your homework and list a smart set of exercises to work out your biceps and triceps.

Top 5 arm exercises to work your biceps and triceps muscles

1. Preacher bicep curl:

Have you caught yourself doing some bicep curls and swinging your body to lift the weight?

The downside of regular bicep curls is that if you’re not careful, you will start using other muscles additional to your biceps.

They are called accessory muscles, and they are useful in other situations but not here.

Preacher bicep curls take away this problem by focusing on this muscle and reducing the participation of accessory muscles.

This exercise should be performed in a preacher bench, using an E-Z bar instead of your regular dumbbells.

Hold the bar with your hands by gripping the inner handle and breathe out every time you curl the weight up to a contracted position.

Do not separate your upper arms from the preacher bench pad while performing the movement.

2. Barbell bicep curl:

This one is pretty standard in everyone’s workout, but here’s a slight variation that will twist your routine and give you an extra advantage.

Start by performing your barbell bicep curl with an E-Z bar.

While lifting the weight, do not swing your body and keep your elbows slightly forward to prevent the activation of accessory muscles.

If you have already mastered this basic curl, there are plenty of variations to try.

Instead of an E-Z bar, use an Olympic bar and perform the same movement.

You will notice it is sometimes a bit difficult to maintain balance, and that’s precisely what we are aiming at.

Trying to perform the correct movement, your body will activate extra muscle fibres and engage the whole biceps muscle in the process.

You can even go a step further on your Olympic bar curl by lifting the weight with one arm.

3. French press to focus on your triceps

Now, when it comes to your triceps, this muscle requires careful activation.

Every triceps exercise should focus on moving your forearms only and leaving your upper arm locked in the same position.

The French press is an excellent example of that.

This exercise should be performed with an E-Z bar.

When it comes to this exercise, there are two common ways to do it.

Most will refer to the French Press arm exercise as the one you perform in a seated position with the upright leaning slightly back.

The skull crusher version is the one most refer to as lying down on a flat bench.

Either way, both of these versions are excellent at isolating your triceps muscles.

Lie on your back using a flat or slightly inclined bench, hold the bar with a close grip, and extend the weight in front of you with your palms facing forward.

Your arms should be perpendicular to the ground, and this will be your starting position.

Keeping your upper arms locked in this position, lower the bar close to your forehead and lift the weight with a clean and slow motion.

There will be a variation of this exercise if you decide to perform it on a flat bench or an incline bench, and you can also try with dumbbells if you grow tired of the same thing over and over again.

Doing these variations should be a part of your training because, even if you are okay with doing the same every time, your muscles can use a different approach, and it will give you better gains on the long run.

4. Triceps pushdown with ropes:

The French press is an overhead extension of your triceps, so the best exercise to combine is a triceps extension with ropes.

It is simple enough.

You will need to attach a rope to a high pulley, stand in front of it and start the exercise by pulling the weight down with your back straight.

You can also use an E-Z bar attachment, but be sure to use the appropriate weight to perform the exercise correctly.

5. Tricep dips to work your triceps and build bigger arms

It is the most traditional approach to train your triceps muscle, and it is pretty simple.

However, it is also one of the most effective ways to build your arms and tone your triceps.

If you’re starting this type of exercise, you might want to perform bench dips or assisted dips.

You can do bench dips without any specialised equipment.

Just place a bench or chair behind your back, hold on the edge with your hands extended and your legs forward, lower your body and bring back up your torso with your triceps.

Do not move your forearms while performing the exercise.

Assisted dips would require an assisted dip machine, and the only thing it will do is giving you a counterweight to help you throughout the process.

Adjust the counterweight and place your knees on the levered platform.

Grasp the side handles and lower your body without arching your back.

While going back up, be careful not to move your forearms and to keep your back straight.

When you’ve mastered the assisted dips and do not need any help to lift your body, you can do the same without a counterweight.

This exercise is just great if you use them at the end of your routine to finish killing your triceps.

So there you have the top 5 exercises for how to build bigger arms. This is where the rubber has to hit the road.

You have to go out and work had on building your arms.

The videos above on how to build bigger arms will point you in the right direction as far as technique is concerned.

DISCLAIMER
We have, in preparing this information, used our best endeavours to ensure that the information contained herein is true and accurate, but accept no responsibility and disclaim all liability in respect of any errors, inaccuracies or misstatements contained herein. Information guide only and any other further information should be considered by a professional.